The Limelight | Kyla Ferris Nuñez
Background
“Actually, it really depends kung anong emotions yung nararamdaman ko kapag, let’s say I’m happy, dun ako nagsa-start mag drawing so yun yung nagiging inspiration ko.”
Ma'am Kyla has stated that she favors an organic or intuitive approach rather than a rigid workflow, letting her emotions and current motivation guide her in starting her own artworks.
She is a part-time professor at MMCL, where she also earned her Bachelor of Multimedia Arts degree, majoring in Animation. Her portfolio, which includes illustration, 2D and 3D animation, and 3D modeling, clearly demonstrates her expertise as a multimedia artist.
Career Path
“Tas nung desedido na ako sabi ko mag a-architect na ako tas sabi ng tito ko ‘hindi, mag advertising ka. Feeling ko mas bagay ka dun.’ “
Architecture was Ma’am Kyla’s first choice during her high school years. She was fully decided that she would take architecture, but her uncle saw a different potential she wasn’t fully aware of. Ma’am Kyla did admit that in terms of illustration, she had only drawn anime and cartoons but never houses and buildings which is essential for architecture of course. So because of this, her uncle suggested that she should go for an advertising program in her college and that’s how it went.
Ma’am Kyla went to MMCL because this was her dream school and there is a strand that focuses in Animation which is the SHS strand (old curriculum) Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Animation was her first love and from there on she has grabbed this opportunity and continued this path until she went to college, taking BMMA as her degree program.
Industry Flaws
"Hindi siya worth it ng pagod... dapat sinasahuran ka rin ng maayos." (It's not worth the effort... you should also be compensated properly.)
Ma’am Kyla initially applied to be an animator, but the interview fell through as she was offered an extremely low salary. She felt that it wasn’t worth it due to the heavy workload the animation industry demands, as experience alone is never enough unless it is compensated fairly.
She also faced exploitative freelance conditions working as a freelance illustrator for a book publishing company, earning a measly PHP13,000 per project (217.59 USD), which stretched for about four months, initially accepting the offer, thought that it was acceptable enough, but she realised it wasn’t worth it as work compromised her work boundaries and was eating into her sleep (e.g., being asked to revise at unreasonable hours).
"Dati kase niro-romanticize ko pa siya. Sabi ko 'ay hindi baka meron talagang animation industry dito sa Pilipinas' pero wala." (I used to romanticize it. I thought there really was an animation industry here in the Philippines, but there isn't.)
She admitted that she used to romanticise the idea of an animation industry in the country, but found that it didn’t exist in a meaningful and sustainable way. This is partly why she’s now considering going international, as she believes working abroad would be worth her time and effort.
Despite the flaws, she’s currently earning better and is enjoying her work as a part-time instructor here at Mapúa MCL. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in animation at the sister campus, Mapúa University in Makati as a stepping stone to eventually work for an animation studio internationally.
Advice to Readers
“Don’t be scared to go out on your comfort zone.” and “kung ngayon ay ‘di nagwo-work para sayo, don’t give up kase eventually makakahanap ka pa’rin ng opportunity na talagang para sa iyo.”
In which Ma’am Kyla emphasized her struggles as an artist, doubting if animation was really for her until she talks about winning first runner-up in an animation competition during pandemic. With this experience, she treats that opportunities can happen unexpectedly, and that becomes an inspiration, believing that something better will happen as you push through.
Moving on, she acknowledges financial stability, that success is mostly seen in what field you would pursue. Like in Engineering, Architecture, and other more jobs that are seen by society as “important” or “in-demand”.
“Pero ngayon, lagi kong sinasabi sa sarili ko na: ‘may pera nga ako, (pero) nag e-enjoy ba ako?’ Kung hindi (nae-enjoy), nasasayang lang yung years ng pagwowork ko. So dapat BOTH which is ngayon yun yung nangyari sa’kin, nage-enjoy ako at the same time nababayaran ako ng maayos.”
For Ma’am Kyla, the goal is to find a balance between passion and earning money. She believes that the stress from work becomes easier to handle when you genuinely enjoy what you do, rather than being successful at the cost of your own happiness.